Poll: Colorado voters coming out against tax-slashing measures

Poll Results

Three tax-slashing measures on the November ballot are still doing badly with Colorado voters despite many people saying they're no longer undecided.

That's the result of the latest Denver Post/9News poll, which shows the majority of initiatives on the November ballot aren't faring well with voters.

Amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101, which would cut billions of dollars in state and local spending, were not doing well in late September, when Survey USA conducted the last Denver Post/9News Poll on the issues.

That survey showed that none of the three issues was receiving more than 12 percent support, but at least 40 percent of voters were undecided on each of the measures.

Those gaps have narrowed with likely voters in the latest poll, conducted Tuesday through Thursday. The automated poll's margin of error ranges from plus or minus 4.1 to 4.4 percentage points.

On Amendment 60, which would cut property taxes, 18 percent now say they would support the measure, but 59 percent say they're against it. Twenty- three percent say they are unsure.

Amendment 61 would prohibit all state borrowing and make it harder for local governments to issue debt. Eighteen percent of likely voters favor the measure, while 63 percent oppose it. Twenty percent say they are unsure.

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Proposition 101, which would cut vehicle-registration fees and income taxes and eliminate taxes and fees on phones, cable, satellite and some other services, is doing slightly better. The poll showed 21 percent of likely voters in favor of it, 55 percent against and 24 percent not certain.

Opponents of the three measures filed a campaign-finance complaint last week against anti-tax crusader Douglas Bruce, alleging he illegally used a charity to fund petition drives for the three measures without filing contribution and expenditure reports.

Bruce has repeatedly tried to distance himself from the measures.

Voters' perspectives

Deborah Krebs, a 64-year- old woman from Colorado Springs who responded to the survey, said Bruce's suspected involvement was part of the reason she is opposing all three measures.

"I can't stand Doug Bruce, for one thing, and I'm just really tired of the butt-head mentality around here," Krebs said. "It just seems that people aren't open to improving things. It seems that they are more interested in being right than fixing things."

But for Martin Thielemier, an 87-year-old man from Pueblo who favors the three measures, the initiatives are a way to express his frustration.

"They've raised taxes without the people having the choice," Thielemier said. "I'm 87 years old and living on Social Security. My license plates went from $23 to some $60 last year, and I just got fed up with it."

Views on Obama soften

The most recent poll also showed a mild softening of unfavorable opinion toward the president. The poll conducted in September indicated 53 percent of likely Colorado voters had an unfavorable opinion of President Barack Obama, while 36 percent had a favorable opinion.

But the October poll showed 43 percent hold a favorable opinion of Obama while 49 percent say their opinion is unfavorable.

The same issues that were important to likely Colorado voters in September were cited by virtually the same percentages in the most recent poll.

Sixty-five percent say "jobs and the economy" is the top issue for them, the same percentage as in the September poll, while 9 percent say immigration is their No. 1 issue, just off from the 10 percent who cited that as their top issue in September.

Lockheed says object part of 'sensor technology' testing that ended ThursdayWhat the heck is that thing? It's fair to assume that question was on the minds of many people who traveled along Colo. 128 south of Boulder this week if they happened to catch a glimpse of what appeared to be a large, silver projectile perched alongside the highway and pointed north toward town.

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